Toitū Attracts 100,000 Visitors In Just Over Two Months

Dunedin (Thursday, 14 February 2013) – Toitū Otago Settlers Museum welcomed its 100,000th visitor today – only a couple of months after opening its doors late last year.

A visitor from the United Kingdom was the lucky 100,000th visitor just before 4pm and received some flowers, and gifts from the Museum Shop, to mark the occasion.

Toitū Otago Settlers Museum is the country’s newest museum. Following a multi-million dollar redevelopment, it had its civic opening on 6 December 2012.

The institution previously attracted only about 65,000 visitors a year.

Toitū Otago Settlers Museum Director Linda Wigley was thrilled the Museum had welcomed its 100,000th visitor.

“This is a very exciting milestone for us - endorsing the popularity of the new Toitū Otago Settlers Museum. We know that many of our visitors are tourists, including cruise ship visitors, but this number also includes many repeat visits by local visitors, which we are also very pleased to see. There is so much to see in the new Museum that one visit is often not enough!

“Visitor feedback is overwhelmingly positive, with people enjoying the new displays as well as appreciating our ‘old favourites’ such as Josephine and the Cobb and Co Coach.”

Given the great visitor response to date, Ms Wigley is confident the Museum will easily exceed its new 180,000 annual visitor target.

The four-stage $37.5 million redevelopment project began in 2008 and the redeveloped Museum had a civic opening on 6 December 2012.

ENDS

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